Yandere hell: Lovely Nightmare

Haruto and Kei arrived from the roof and directly went into their classroom. Their homeroom teacher had arrived by the time they came. He gazed at them with disapproval on his face. 

Their hair, and clothes are disheveled and have been dirty, odd scent clung to them, spreading in the air as they made their way to their seats. The classmates whispered around their back.

The homeroom teacher, Mr. Saito, raised an eyebrow, his arms folded across his chest. He glanced at Haruto and then Kei, his expression changing from mild annoyance to outright disbelief. "Really, you two? Rushed in right after waking up?" he replied in disbelief.

 The whole class snickered laughing hard at them.

Kei's cheeks flushed deep red by embarrassment. "W-wait! It's not like that! I was.." she stammered, trying to smooth her hair down. She wasn't used to be scolded by teachers.

Mr. Saito shook his head. "Kei, I expected better from you unlike Haruto..." 

He paused, turning into Haruto. "This seems like your usual morning routine, isn't it haruto?"

"Actually you have arrived early sir. I came in the correct time " Haruto replied while showing him his watch and made an excuse finally that his watch is slow. 

Mr Saito reluctantly agreed after realizing that it is futile, and he gave up.

The class erupted in laughter and mocked him,  "Typical Haruto!" 

Haruto looked unbothered and winked at his clubmates and the classroom was turned once again into chaos

"What did I do to deserve this? " Mr Saito held his head in pain

Haruto went to his cozy and he slept with eyes open. Haruto has mastered the art of sleeping still and conserving his energy. If a teacher asks him a question, he will answer he doesn't know and sit down. He has never been the type to take seriously what other people think of him.

Ding Dong!

What a loud bell the class is over and, Kei arrived near him signaling him to go with her with a smile on her face.

Ken nudged his friend with a sly grin. "Did you see that? Man, Haruto's got guts to ignore a teacher. He just doesn't give a damn."

Daiki, laughed, folding his arms behind his head. "Right? Guy sleeps through class, acts all carefree, and still manages to walk out with her? Kei of all people? I am jealous"

Meanwhile, at the front, Hana, was whispering furiously to her desk mate, Mio. "Kei's always so perfect. How does someone like her put up with him? I wonder what she sees in him, he was a jerk" She pouted, her brows furrowing as she glanced back at Haruto, who was now casually passing by her, and whispered 'Biatch' to Hana

"Did he just—?!" she started, but Mio simply shrugged.

"Maybe there's something we don't know," Mio said, adjusting her glasses. "I mean, they're just... friends, right?"

The two walked in comfortable silence as they went to their club. The halls were filled with chattering of students, but it faded away when they reached the quiet wing of the school, the literature club. The familiar wooden door creaked open as Kei pushed it, the cozy book-filled space of the Literature Club which Haruto and Kei treasured.

Each member is absorbed in their own world.

Yumi sat near the window, her back straight and graceful, as she turned the pages of a classic Japanese novel she is reading.  Sun rays spread around the book, highlighting the book as she absorbed the text.  She looked so happy and peaceful while she was reading

"Yumi-chan is cute, but for some reason, it seems she hates me " Haruto whispered to Kei

"Yumi is bit shy, she will eventually warm up, she is not as bad as she looks " Kei replied.

Talking about other members, Johanna was at the corner of the room, typing rapidly on her laptop, most likely working on her latest light novel draft. Akira was sprawled across a couple of chairs, lazily reading a battle fantasy manga with a lollipop sticking out of her mouth.

"Yo, you're late," Akira called out with a grin, sitting up and waving the manga in the air. "  I have heard Mr. Sato chewed you out."

Haruto shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't care. He is not strict so I will be fine."

"You should arrive in time and behave like a good student during class Haruto " Kei replied while scolding him for the nth time.

Akira chuckled. "Careful. She's gonna reel you in with that 'good student' act and then snap! You are hooking."

"Don't give him ideas," Kei replied dryly.

Johanna briefly glanced up from her laptop, giving Haruto and Kei a small wave before going right back to typing.

"By the way, where's Ayumi and Rei?" Haruto asked as he slid into his usual chair.

"Ayumi took the day off," Kei replied, her eyes on two empty desks. "Rei's absent too, probably busy with some personal stuff, she said."

Haruto nodded, letting out a small sigh. "Guess it's a quiet day then."

Kei clapped her hands lightly, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone, let's get started. Since Rei and Ayumi aren't here, we'll need to fill them in on our progress later, so let's go around and share how much we've worked on our novels so far."

Yumi looked up from her book first, blinking in surprise. Her serene expression didn't change much, but her voice was soft and composed as she spoke. "I've managed to finish the first draft of my chapter. It's a bit heavy on the introspective parts, but I wanted to focus more on the main character's internal struggle."

"My story is a historical romance set in the Heian period. It's about a noblewoman who falls in love with a commoner, but their relationship is forbidden by her family and society. The main focus is on her internal struggle between her duty and her heart. It's... mostly about managing work versus love" Yumi delicately pulled out handwritten manuscript from her bag, her handwritting was neat.

Kei nodded approvingly while reading the pages. "That's good, Yumi. You can use this to build up tension and keep readers hooked, specifically the romance part."

Haruto leaned over slightly to glance at the title as he read it aloud, "Beneath the Cherry Blossoms." He tried to suppress a snicker. 

"Sounds like one of those dramas where they cry under trees for no reason," he teased,  with a smirk, his arms lazily crossed behind his head.

Yumi's composure faltered for a moment, her fingers tightening slightly around her manuscript as she held it protectively. 

She was annoyed as shot him a glare. "My story is not about crying, Haruto," she replied, her voice quiet but laced with irritation. "It's about making difficult choices between love and responsibility, something you clearly don't understand."

Haruto shrugged, still grinning as if her words didn't affect him. "Nah, I get it. But wouldn't it be cooler if the commoner just whisked her away on a horse and they ran off into the sunset? I mean, all that will-they-won't-they stuff drags things out in it, don't you think?" He paused before adding  "Unless you're aiming for, like, a super slow burn."

"This is why I can't stand you," Yumi muttered with a hateful glare, her voice low but clear enough for him to hear.

'Whoa, I was just giving feedback," he said, raising his hands defensively, while smirking. "Chill."

"Hmph! Idiot" Yumi huffed, turning her head away from him in clear frustration. She knew Haruto wasn't serious most of the time, but something about his carefree attitude irked her nerves—especially when it came to something as personal as her writing. She hated how he could dismiss her work so easily, as if it were just some joke to him.

"Alright, that's enough," she said looking between the two. "Haruto, stop messing with her. And Yumi, don't let him get to you. He's just telling his perspective. You are writing for specific audience on mind."

"I know," she said, her tone softening but still calm. "I just don't see why he has to comment on everything like he's some kind of expert."

It seems like somehow, Haruto is purposely getting on his nerves. Yumi has decided to teach him manner later.

"Y'all have such a weird dynamic. It's like a bad romance novel in itself. Me think" Akira glanced up from her manga, grinning as he commented

Next up Johanna came forward, who seemed a bit hesitant, her fingers pausing on the keyboard as she glanced nervously at the others and showed it. "I'm almost done with my third chapter, but I'm stuck on the dialogue bit," she admitted, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It feels... off somehow."

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she tried to explain. "So, it's an urban fantasy setting, and the main character is a quiet, reserved girl—like me—who suddenly discovers she has magic powers. She's fighting against her best friend who's been brainwashed by the villain, and I'm struggling with how to make their dialogue feel intense but still emotional..."

Haruto leaned over, squinting at her screen. "Huh, so it's like... magic and mind control? I mean, make her snap out of it with some heart-pounding emotional stuff—like in those classic 'turn-your-back-on-the-villain' tropes right."

Johanna shifted uncomfortably, mumbling, "But I don't want it to be cliché."

Before Haruto could respond, Yumi, who had been quietly listening, narrowed her eyes. "Well, if it's too emotional, it might come off as melodramatic. No offense, but it sounds a bit unrealistic. you don't need that much dialogue in a fight scene. People don't talk when they're about to kill each other." Her words were sharp.

Yumi's eyes scanned Johanna's draft on the computer attentively, her expression growing colder with every sentence she read. She let out a small, disdainful sigh as he glared at the scene. "This... feels weak," she started, her voice deceptively calm, but there was a biting edge to it.

 "The dialogue is trying too hard to be emotional. It's soft. If your characters are fighting, you need raw intensity, not some speech about friendship."

Johanna flinched, her fingers nervously tapping on the edge of her laptop. "I... I was going for something heartfelt... like the bond between them—"

Yumi cut her off, her tone growing colder. "Heartfelt? This isn't a love letter, Johanna. It's a battle scene. They're supposed to be fighting, not pouring their souls out. No one talks like this when their life's on the line." She crossed her arms, her posture stiff, almost like a teacher scolding a student.

Yumi's cold gaze drifted over Johanna's laptop screen once more, and her lips curled in disdain. "And what's with these characters? You've got a female lead who's supposed to be strong, but she's practically crying in every other scene. Is that your idea of strength? It's pathetic."

Johanna's eyes widened, her face pale as she gripped the edge of her laptop, her knuckles turning white in fear. "I-I just wanted to show her vulnerability alongside her strength—"

"Vulnerability?" Yumi snapped, her voice filled with rage. "You think that's what makes a woman strong? This whining, insecure mess you've written? I find this so insulting. If you're writing a strong female character, then make her strong. Not making some damsel in distress, waiting for someone else to save her. It's pathetic" She stood up straighter, crossing her arms, her expression hardening even more.

 "Honestly, it's like you don't even understand how to write women despite being a woman. Are you sure, you aren't copying some third-rate romance novel you read once?"

Johanna's face flushed a deep red, as Yumi's words sliced around her like knives. She struggled to find her voice while stammering, "I-I thought... that maybe—"

"No, you didn't think," Yumi interrupted, her voice now snapping like a whip. "You just wrote some weak, overly sentimental garbage and expected us to praise you for it. If this is the kind of work you're putting out, maybe writing isn't for you." She leaned in slightly, her gaze piercing. "And as a woman, you should be ashamed to write something so shallow. It's embarrassing to call it romance"

"Yumi, calm down!" Haruto interjected. He stood up, stepping closer to put himself between Yumi and Johanna. "You've made your point."

Yumi's eyes filled with anger as soon as Haruto stepped up. "Oh, now you decide to defend her?" she spat filled with bitterness. "Funny how you only speak up when it's someone else getting torn down. But when it's me- you mock my work—it's all just a joke to you when it comes to me, right?"

Haruto frowned, trying to calm her. "It wasn't like that. I was just teasing. You are going too far with her."

"Too far?" Yumi's rose her voice, filled with frustration. "You made fun of my story in front of everyone! You think it's easy being the one who actually tries around here? While you all slack off, I'm the one putting in the work, dedicating myself, and what do I get for it? Mockery. Just because I take things seriously, everyone thinks I'm the uptight one!"

Her breathing quickened, the beautiful composed mask she wore had begun to crack. "You called my story sentimental garbage. You think I don't know what people say about me? That I'm too traditional, too stuck in my ways? Do you have any idea how hard it is to live like me? My parents, my family, everyone—they treat me like some fragile doll, it's like I'm only good for following their orders while preparing me to be a 'perfect bride' for some stranger."

Yumi has let out some personal details in anger, something she wanted her friends to understand.

Her hands tightened into fists as if ready to hit him, trembling with anger and she turned to Johanna. "And you sit there, writing about love and romance as if you understand any of it. You think a whining woman like you gets anywhere in life? You think crying in front of people changes anything? I'm not some weak little girl like you who's going to sit around waiting for someone else to save me, I'm damn tired of people like you treating it like a joke."

Haruto's face tightened, but he didn't back down. "Yumi, no one's saying—"

"Yes, they are!" she snapped, cutting him off. "Every time you make fun of my work, every time you act like you're too cool to care—it's the same thing! You just don't understand. You've never been in a position where you have to choose between your heart and your duty. Between who you are and what people expect of you. But I don't have that choice you do."

Kei nodded, her usually calm face now tense as she tried to calm her. "She's doing her best, Yumi. Criticism is one thing, but this... this is too much. You went too far." 

"Take a chill pill and calm down Yumi! Haruto is just teasing you around, take it as 'constructive criticism' . " Akira said as she took relaxing stance.

Yumi shot her glare to Akira before narrowing at the rest of them. "You're all the same," she muttered, her voice dangerously low.

 Without another word, Yumi turned on her heel and stormed off, her footsteps  echoed through the hallway.

The door slammed behind her, leaving an uncomfortable silence in the room. Johanna stared down at her laptop, her hands still trembling, almost with tears.

Kei sighed, rubbing her head in frustration. "Well, that could've gone better. "

Haruto slumped back into his chair, exhaling a long breath. "I didn't expect her to get this personal," he muttered, glancing over at Johanna. "I never realized She's... was under lots of pressure."

"It's my fault...I was just trying to tease her. She took it as insult from me " Haruto answered while looking

"Yeah, no kidding, poor communication kills"  Akira said, finally pulling the lollipop from her mouth and twirling it between her fingers. "But, like, she's not entirely wrong, y'know? Johanna, your characters do cry... a lot."

Johanna flinched, and she trembled a lot as she closed her laptop slowly. "I-I just... I wanted them to feel real. People cry when they're feel overburdened."

"Sure," Kei cut in softly, "but remember what Yumi was saying. There should be a balance. You can show weakness without making it seem like that's all there is to your character. If they cry too much, readers might start seeing them as weak, especially in tense situations like battles."

"I-I'll try harder," Johanna whispered, her voice fragile as she wiped at her eyes. "But Yumi-chan... I never meant to insult her. I feel like she hates me"

Haruto leaned forward, and patted her head. "She's not angry at you, Johanna. It's everything else that's stressing her out. It seems like her family's been pushing her hard."

Kei nodded. "She's been under a lot of stress, especially with her parents. It's not fair that she took it out on you, but she doesn't hate both of you. She's just... struggling I think."

Akira swung her legs off the side of the couch, standing up and stretching with a yawn. "Y'know, instead of just sitting here feeling bad, maybe someone should go talk to her? Not me, though"

Haruto sighed, standing up. "I'll go, I will make up with her" 

Akira stood up as well. "I'll come with you. It seems fun."

[System Alert]

Deadly Event Triggered: Yumi's Breaking Point
Yumi's emotional state has reached critical levels. Approach with caution, Haruto.
Warning: Any misstep in your actions could have severe consequences on both Yumi and yourself. Every choice you make from this point will have severe effects. Handle carefully.

Failure to act carefully or mishandling will result in:

Yumi's trust dropping to zero Haruto suffering immediate consequences Yumi snaps out

"Great just the motivation I need " Haruto sighed.